Managing Multiple Breeding Roosters

[mkathleen]

Hi guys
So I'm wondering what breeders do with their multiple roosters, especially concerning those that raise multiple breeds and don't want any funky crossbreeds turning up. I don't quite have the space to build big runs for my different lines so they're all running together with the hens right now in one big flock. Only issue being, when I want to breed specific pairings, I need to isolate the hens in the growing out pen for a month before I can be sure the rooster I put them with will be the father, and I'm just wondering how other people get around this issue?

My mother had the idea of creating individual pens for the roosters and bringing the hens to them whenever we would like to breed, but I'm wondering if keeping them in relative isolation (they'd be next to each other through a fence in her plan) would be bad for them mentally? I'm not particularly sold on the idea but I don't have anything else to offer. Suggestions?

 

[Bekkaseggs]

Hi Kathleen,

I had two cockerels together for months in one pen. They were together since hatching. Then one was killed by a rattlesnake while foraging. Charlie clearly missed Manny. I got him a friend because I thought he'd be sweet to a younger cockerel. He wasn't. So, I built a new rooster pen adjacent to Charlie's. William and Charlie seem comfortable now, not buddies but liking the company. I should add that my rooster pens are two feet from the hen pen. The roos do not seem lonely, just a bit, erm, randy.

 

[Maikan]

I have 9 roosters some are in the mixed flock and others are in smaller pens with a few of there pure bred hens. I make sure that they have time to free range every few days by letting them all out in individual groups. This way I can keep the pure bred birds pure and sell the eggs for hatching or hatch out the eggs myself and sell the young birds.

The main mixed flock I just use for eating eggs and when the hens go broody there eggs are changed for pure bred ones and they hatch the pure bred chicks for me.

I find that keeping the Roosters in the smaller pens along with a few of there hens keeps them sane, non aggressive and the girls boss them about so they keep there manners. There also happier and more relaxed birds.

 

[centrarchid]

When not producing hatching eggs I can let the roosters either run together in the absence of hens or pen roosters singly in small pens that serve as chicken tractors. First option less labor intensive while second provides better control over discord and is a more effecient use of space / pasture. I try to show some of mine so latter has clear advantages there. Moving the pens frequently provides many of the nutritional benefits of free-range keeping. A potential limitation with the penning that emerged in a very wet year like this one has been reduced dust-bathing opportunities as needed to control some external parasites. Free-range birds have no such problems.

 

[donrae]

How many birds do you have per breeding group? A breeding pen doesn't have to be that large, to house a rooster and a few hens. Depending on the individual birds, of course. I have a quad (one rooster, three hens) plus one hen's 5 pullets from her last clutch, they're 3ish months old. The pen is 6x12. I realize not all groups would do well in this space, but it's working for me right now. I also have a rooster and single hen in a 4x12, with 3 2-3 month old chicks. All those hens are well feathered, glossy and not overmated at all. I'd say build a few small pens and try keeping groups together. You'll have to keep an eye on the hens' behavior and condition. Putting roosts or other multi-level access increases the available space, also.

edited to add link to my breeding pens

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1003092/my-breeding-pens

 

[mkathleen]

Thank you all for the tips, we've been doing a lot of talking and pacing out and I think it'll be plenty big enough for the roosters and a couple of hens. Where my breeding groups are larger I might just rotate the hens and see how it goes. Thanks all

 

[RcoM]

Hi guys
So I'm wondering what breeders do with their multiple roosters, especially concerning those that raise multiple breeds and don't want any funky crossbreeds turning up. I don't quite have the space to build big runs for my different lines so they're all running together with the hens right now in one big flock. Only issue being, when I want to breed specific pairings, I need to isolate the hens in the growing out pen for a month before I can be sure the rooster I put them with will be the father, and I'm just wondering how other people get around this issue?

My mother had the idea of creating individual pens for the roosters and bringing the hens to them whenever we would like to breed, but I'm wondering if keeping them in relative isolation (they'd be next to each other through a fence in her plan) would be bad for them mentally? I'm not particularly sold on the idea but I don't have anything else to offer. Suggestions?

Yours is a good question and the multiple solutions will be helpful to us all.
Currently I am rotating who gets to free range with who. The Alpha is penned up with a few girls in a coop but he would mate them all if he got the chance. So the 2nd rooster is penned with his girls in a coop but he gets to eat first and out to roam first. When I let Aloha out of the run, I can tempt the 2nd too and a few of his hens back in to the enclosed run area (with mealworms and seed). So that's my rotation plan at the moment. They all get runtime or paddock free range time in rotation. Their coop time is mainly for sleeping or laying anyway but it's separate.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have a different idea, but generally roosters are easy to get. One needs to be able to tell different breeds eggs apart.

Only have one rooster in the flock, and that year, only hatch that breeds eggs. 18 months later - cull that rooster, pick a different breed rooster, and hatch those eggs.

While you do need a source for the roosters - drastically reduces the pens you need.

Mrs K

 

[RcoM]

I have a different idea, but generally roosters are easy to get. One needs to be able to tell different breeds eggs apart.

Only have one rooster in the flock, and that year, only hatch that breeds eggs. 18 months later - cull that rooster, pick a different breed rooster, and hatch those eggs.

While you do need a source for the roosters - drastically reduces the pens you need.

Mrs K

True but it means I have to train their behaviour again as they grow. However your method does save room. I have done one more thing which maintains genetic diversity- rooster swap. Same breed but different bloodline from elsewhere. You have to search for an equal quality swap